The Highwayman
by MadAsAHatter37
Summary: FFVII's version of the terrific poem 'The Highwayman' CloudxTifa


**A/N:** This is the result of listening to Loreena McKennitt's "The Highwayman" when I'm trying to fall asleep with too much energy. Took me a full day of work to figure out how I wanted it to go and who I should use. I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own FFVII, or either version of "The Highwayman".

**Recommendations:** Listening to the song and reading the poem that inspired this.

* * *

Tifa winced as the wind outside the sealed window howled to get in. Pausing in her braiding, she peeked out said window to see a moonlit, albeit empty, road looping its way towards her residence. "Late as usual," she muttered, "And he won't answer his phone either." Glancing up at the full moon outside, she wondered where her knight was. "He's never _this_ unpredictable."

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the sound of a motorcycle coming closer and closer to her inn. In fact, she was so caught up with wondering where her man could be that when she heard a tap on her window, she screamed and jumped nearly a foot in the air. Looking out and down, she found that it was finally the one she was waiting for: Cloud. He strained his neck to try to see Tifa through the window but he could not. Sighing slightly, he whistled a tune that warmed Tifa's heart enough to open her window and allow him to see her.

"You're late," she said with a slight smile. "I know and I'm sorry," Cloud answered softly, looking akin to a guilty puppy, "I was tied up. I have a delivery tonight but I promise that I will return by nightfall tomorrow." Tifa felt her heart drop but she kept a smile on her face nonetheless, "Promise?" "I promise," he whispered, standing up with intent to give a kiss to prove it. However, as we all know, Cloud was too short to reach up to Tifa's window.

Laughing slightly at the blush that spread across his face at this realization, Tifa undid her braid, causing the tips of her hair to tumble over his face. Blushing even harder, Cloud instead delivered the kiss to the tips before switching his motorcycle back on and taking off back down the road he arrived on several minutes earlier. Shaking her head, Tifa couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face as she pressed the tips of her hair to her lips.

As she shut her window, still smiling, she didn't notice the man creeping out of the shadows with a jealous scowl on his face. Snatching a cell phone from his jacket pocket, he dialed a number before murmuring, "Yeah, I know where he is. He'll be there." Snapping the cell phone shut, Rude looked up at Tifa's window with a slight apologetic frown before moving down the street.

* * *

All the next day, Tifa found herself glancing at the clock seemingly every five minutes. "This is getting ridiculous," she muttered to herself angrily as a customer walked away from the counter, "He said at night, not now. C'mon, I need to focus! That was the fourth time I had to ask how many were staying in a room! Get it together!" She busied herself with paperwork and customers, ignoring the clock almost entirely until she saw the sun setting in the west. At the sound of a motorcycle, a grin broke out on her face. Looking up swiftly when the bell above the door jingled, the 'welcome home' died in her throat and her grin melted to a look of fear.

"That's not a very pleasant greeting," Kadaj said with a smirk before jerking his head. Yazoo and Loz appeared behind him and grabbed Tifa as a scream was torn from her throat. The two quickly gagged her and carried her struggling up to her bedroom. Producing rope out of seemingly no where, they tied her up to a bed post before retreating to the window, hiding on either side.

"Now you be a good little girl and keep watch through that window," Kadaj said with a smirk, pointing out her window. Tifa's eyes widened as she saw the road that she knew Cloud would be traveling on and she glared at Kadaj. Chuckling lightly, Kadaj kissed her before tying the gag tighter around her mouth and disappearing down the stairs. Seconds later, Kadaj returned with several mugs of some sort of drink to pass to his brothers before downing one himself.

"I'll be downstairs dealing with her customers," he said, jerking his head towards Tifa, "Keep watching for him. And you as well." Kadaj smirked at her once more before leaving. Loz laughed slightly before moving back to Tifa and tying a gun blade to press against her left breast. "Just in case," Yazoo mumbled, not moving his eyes from the road.

Tifa watched the two carefully, not making any sudden movements. But for the better part of the hour that she watched them, they never looked in her direction. This gave her encouragement and she began to struggle against her bindings. She was dismayed to find they were tight enough to prevent her escape but a new idea bloomed in her head.

She began twisting her hands behind her, searching for something. It took her several hours but as the clock struck twelve, her fingers brushed the trigger of the gun blade. She fought to control her excitement; she finally had found some control in the situation! And with good timing too for it wasn't a minute later that Tifa heard the slight roar of a motorcycle.

Panicked, Tifa looked to Loz and Yazoo and seemed relieved to see that neither was paying attention. Loz was even slightly dozing instead doing what his brother had ordered. She knew, however, that they would notice what she had already become aware of and that she should move quickly. 'I know that this isn't what you wanted,' Tifa thought as tears welled up in her eyes, 'But it's the best I can do for you…I love you.'

And as a single tear ran down her cheek, Tifa pressed down on the trigger.

* * *

The sound of the gun shot roared through Cloud's ears and he had every intent of speeding up to check on Tifa. On the other hand, Loz and Yazoo were also alerted by the gunshot and were now shooting every bullet they possessed at him. 'I'm sorry Tifa, but I'm going to be later than I thought I would be,' Cloud thought as he made a quick U-turn and took off back up the road amid gunshots from the inn.

'But I will live up to my promise.'

Cloud didn't realize that he could never live up to that promise until the morning. Even then, he only heard of his love's sacrifice in passing as he walked through the market. Immediately after, he sprinted to his bike and made off for Tifa's Inn, thoughts of revenge on his mind.

However, he never made it to Tifa's Inn.

Kadaj and his brothers had laid in wait at the Inn, just in case Cloud did decide to return. They shot him as soon as he was in range, never leaving room for mistake.

--One Year Later--

"You need to get over her, man," Reno said, shaking his head slowly, "It's already been a year." "I feel like I'm responsible," Rude mumbled, looking around the park they were in. "Well that's to be expected. I think this might ease your grief a little. Have you heard what they've been saying?"

Rude shook his head, looking over at Reno for the first time since they had arrived at the park. "They say that on nights like that night, they hear a motorcycle come tearing down the road in front of her inn. And that she's seen waiting for him in her window, braiding her hair."

Rude stopped in his tracks and stared at the back of Reno's head as the latter kept walking for a few paces. "But you know," Reno said, turning to face Rude, "That's just an old fairy-tale."

Rude shook his head with reluctance, "Yeah."

* * *

**A/N:** So what did you think? Please leave a review and let me know!


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